Interview with Adil Anwar ‘The Platinum Kid’

Adil – This name was given to me by my trainer Mark Bateson, simply because he believed that I had the drive to shine when the occasion called for it. I wasn’t fond of the name at first, but it gradually grew on me.

SC – How did you first start boxing and tell us about your first professional fight?

Adil – My father was passionate about sport as my grandfather was a gymnast in the Pakistani Army and he was determined to get me into a sporting profession. As a huge Muhammad Ali fan, he ushered me towards the boxing ring at the age of 14, and the rest, as they say, is history.

SC – You fought well in the amateurs, how did you get into the Prizefighter?

Adil – I took a shot at the English Welterweight title at 4 days notice and won and I believe that that is what secured my place in the Prizefighter tournament.

SC – You been training with Ricky Hatton in the past how have you found that & what do you think of his current position?

Adil – I have actually been training with Ricky’s younger brother Matthew Hatton prior to his fight with Kell Brook, which was a brilliant experience for myself as he has fought at the top level of the professional game.  Ricky Hatton making a comeback is an interesting step for British boxing as he was a very exciting fighter and had a huge fan following.

SC – Now there’s not long left, apart from your expectations to win once again, how have you been finding the run up to this fight if anything different?

Adil – After winning the Prizefighter, I was meant to fight Lenny Daws for a British title eliminator however Daws pulled out and I fought Dave Ryan instead on the 19th of May to extend my winning record. I was put forward an offer to fight the then reigning British champion Ashley Theophane with only a weeks notice, and I accepted the offer, however, Theophane refused the fight as he didn’t fancy his chances against me.  Preparation for this fight has been excellent but not entirely different. I have put forward many hours of commitment, dedication and sparred with a number of high profiled domestic fighters, all thanks to my trainer, Mark Bateson, who has devoted a lot of his own time to help me prepare for this final eliminator.

SC – What has Eddie Hearn said to you and how have Matchroom been treating you?

Adil – Whilst I was in the Prizefighter, Matchroom was fantastic and Eddie Hearn was a very cool guy. However, since Prizefighter, I have had no communication with either Eddie or Matchroom. I have fought under the Frank Maloney banner since Prizefighter and will be doing so on the 13th of October, live on Box Nation.

SC – We can see that from your own words that you have been training intensely, give us a rundown of your typical training day?

SC – Any words to the young audiences you’ll be capturing this weekend?

SC – Where do you see yourself progressing to in the next 5yrs?

Adil – I am 25, I would like to see myself fighting for the British title early next year and moving up to the European stages the following year. 5 years seems to b a long time away, however, I’d like to see myself looking at a World title shot within the next 2 years.

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